The leader of the party, chairman and House Speaker Mike Madigan (D-Chicago), did not attend.

But both Gov. Pat Quinn and Illinois Senate President John Cullerton (D-Chicago) denied it’s a snub to anybody. Madigan spokesman Steve Brown cited family time out of state, adding, “If somebody wants to make something out of it, it must be a slow day.”

Cullerton showed off his comedy chops during his time on stage at the fair, telling a story about trying to milk a bull – “I had a friend for life” – and then what he called a joke: “Michele Bachmann won the Iowa straw poll.”